I decided to write about my passion for gardening past, present and future.
I have been ill suffering with Lyme Disease since May 2003 but at last after long term antibiotic treatment getting my life back and can again enjoy my garden.

Wednesday, 23 April 2014

Choisya Aztec Pearl one of many cuttings that have been passed along to friends and family.

Hosta bed dressed to protect from slugs as slug pellets a no no with a puppy although we need to watch she doesn't chew the stones to. The pots of Agapanthus Cowslip and Acer en route elsewhere as the Hosta leaves grow.

A lovely borrowed landscape from my neighbour of Elizabeth Montana Clematis, Apple blossom and the trees from the woods beyond.

A new trellis across the bottom of the vegetable patch, Rambling Rector pruned hard back with a variety of rose shrubs and clematis to grow up it and spring planting in the border. Plus beans hardening off before planting out.

More trellis between the Greenhouse and Delphiniums with clematis and Sanders white rose to grow along it.

Tomato plants with pots to hold newspaper at night when frost is threatened.

Sweet peas and Dahlias brought out from overwintering in a frost free garage.

Lilies and Nerines and trays of plants for hanging baskets - I'm not upto growing hanging basket plants from seed.

What to do with water buts that leak. They make useful pots when cut in half. I grow my sweet peas in these because I run out of garden space, they get some shade from the hedge and they are easy to pick for the house. They now have large wigwams to climb up which also keeps the cats out!

A reminder to me to put more bulbs in my box beds that border the central path. Mostly daffodils need planting here but also tulips in other beds.

I love this red plant and can't remember it's name any offers or I must trawl Mr Google later.

Lots more little box plants that my daughter grew and decided she didn't want - I nursed them along and decided to fill in some gaps, guess what a few weeks later daughter had second thoughts and decided she wanted some box edging after all. We compromised with some larger plants from the other end of the bed and more cuttings for another year.A dear friend years ago gave me some plants with a warning about the wild onion - I laughed and said oh that's nice - I am afraid now I have experienced how it spreads I think differently. Can you just see it in this bed and I only weeded it a few weeks ago.

Banksie Banksie Rose a lovely sight and one of the first to flower.

Montana Elizabeth Clematis slow to start but yes I know how much it will spread in time.

I have had this Dendrobium Orchid for many years this is the best ever flowering so you could say I finally cracked it, providing the right conditions in the summer months outside but not too much shade. The perfume is so powerful that it gets moved out of the room when visitors come, you just can't sit in the same room it is so overwhelming.

This Wardian Case was a gift and has been fun to plant up.

It inspired me to re plant the Bottle garden.

Meg having a rest in her activity playground.

Meg resting before chewing more of my plants. Mike asked me to remove all the poisonous plants from the garden so Meg wouldn't be sick. I laughed when I looked at the list - it would mean removing nearly every plant. With care hopefully we will stop her eating anything that will make her sick, we managed to do so with the other three dogs we have had.

Just some of the plants I couldn't remember the names of as I walked around the garden. Eucryphia Lucida to the right of the fir...

LYME LIFE written 2009

I started suffering with arthritis in mainly my large joints especially my knees 6 years ago. The symptoms varied and I remember saying that every joint was affected except my elbows to one doctor. I was told it would be hormonal and to take the usual supplements cod liver oil or glucosamine ( I would certainly recommend buying shares in the companies producing these supplements) They had no noticeable affect.

All my symptoms deteriorated significantly over a few weeks, 4 years ago. Hips shoulders and knees being the worst and I started with muscle weakness in upper arms and upper legs. I had difficulty standing and walking across a room. I was unable to walk upstairs and my husband was making plans to convert to a downstairs bedroom. I had seen 5 doctors and 3 Rheumatologists and put on steroids for Poly Myalgia Rheumatica diagnosis. I had been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS.

I have X rays and scans showing signs of osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis. I have been retired early from the Civil Service having lost my job not to mention my earning potential.

My illness seemed to progress through my body not affecting the same joints left to right at the same time. I had bursitis in left hip, right hip, left elbow. I had synovial thickening in both wrists. At that time I could not lift and hold a magazine so lifting a kettle I could only do if a third full and with two hands. Each joint in my hands fingers feet and toes were affected. I had swallowing difficulties and many other symptoms. None of this describes the endless and awful pain whenever I moved or the tiredness but inability to get quality sleep.

Two years ago my GP gave me Amoxicilin for a sinus/throat/chest infection. All my arthritis symptoms improved. The course ended the symptoms deteriorated I started a second course the symptoms improved. The improvement was more significant than when I had started taking steroids. This led my GP to suspect Lyme Disease. I laughed because we do not travel abroad but she said they had had other cases in the surgery in the early stages of tick bite and Erythma Migrans rash. She said, but you have not had a bite. I said oh yes I have I had two on my ankles with rashes, March 05 this was confirmed on her computer at the time I had seen a locum doctor. My worst symptoms were waking up feeling rigid and having to painfully flex every joint in my body before struggling to get up. The only other time I had experienced this was in May 2003 during a flu like illness like no other I had ever experienced. At that time I had a bite and similar rash on my right foot which lasted like the other rashes about four weeks. I had also consulted the surgery and it was dismissed as a virus. I walked our dog daily in the woods adjacent to our house where the deer roam, prime tick area.

Thus started my very lengthy search about Lyme Disease leading me through http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/ to a doctor who specialises in this illness. He confirmed my GP's suspicions. I never had a positive blood test but then they are antigen tests and there is much research that shows they are unreliable. In my case the year of steroids and many weeks antibiotics could have affected the results. So with a clinical diagnosis and following ILADS International Lyme and Associated Disease Society guidelines I continued on antibiotics for two years. Both my doctors continued to treat me despite the Health Protection Agency advising against long term antibiotics. I am now nearly 100% recovered I have no pain or muscle weakness. I can walk upstairs something I could not do for three and a half years. I can garden do house work and live a normal life. I still need to pace myself and with only a few months to 60 will not be looking to return to work.

Life is such a joy.

Sadly there is much controversy about Lyme Disease and doctors in UK are taught that it is so rare. Well where I live in Guildford I have been in contact with a dozen other people with it so perhaps not so rare as HPA would like us to believe. I am in touch with nearly 2000 other patients through a chat line Eurolyme most had been misdiagnosed with several other illnesses.

Look at UK charity http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/ if you want to read more about this illness. There are many MP's taking an interest in the problems surrounding diagnosis and treatment see above charity links into a recent meeting at the House of Commons.

Thank goodness there are some thinking doctors around who have courageously treated me against opposition and I have made such a miraculous recovery albeit rather a lengthy one.

One day there will be many more people who are helped with their chronic illnesses when IDSA starts taking note of what our courageous LLMD’s are doing following ILADS Guidelines.